BG - 17.18

सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्।।17.18।।

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena chaiva yat kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ chalam adhruvam

• sat-kāra - respect
• māna - honor
• pūjā - adoration
• artham - for the sake of
• tapaḥ - austerity
• dambhena - with ostentation
• cha - also
• eva - certainly
• yat - which
• kriyate - is performed
• tat - that
• iha - in this world
• proktam - is said
• rājasam - in the mode of passion
• chalam - flickering
• adhruvam - temporary

Translation

The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be Rajasic, unstable, and transient.

Commentary